Sooner or later most of us, when designing a layout, have to face the challenge of how to achieve one or more scenic breaks where the line goes 'off stage'. This is especially true where a continuous run is planned, but often even an end-to-end run will need to exit to a fiddle yard.
There have been many solutions to this, some more effective than others, perhaps: a line exiting behind trees or a building, or sometimes through a building; overbridges and tunnels, disappearing 'round the headland' or just going through a hole in the sky.
I thought it might be useful and interesting to see different people's solutions to the challenge, and compile a resource to help anyone planning a new layout. Your contributions are invited!
To start things off, here are three examples (all previously published) from the Burnbake and Woodyhyde Railway:
In the centre a line simply exits behind an embankment, shrouded by foliage and also helped to 'disappear' by an overbridge:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5696/31193845712_0b8045432c_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PwuBy5)SB2a (https://flic.kr/p/PwuBy5) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
At one end is a fairly traditional road overbridge, though here flanked by a second one (on the left) over the standard gauge exchange siding (I've used the old mirror trick here to help create an illusion of depth, but obviously this doesn't work for the n-g running line!):
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5482/31193845592_f7c14070f5_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PwuBw1)SB1a (https://flic.kr/p/PwuBw1) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
and finally, at the other end, the line
The exit from Elmgate Station to the Fiddle Yard looks like this -
(https://elmgatemodels.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/bridge-to-fy.jpg)
The road bridge is low relief, half width, but the arch within continues into the FY to help hide the yard from view. (At least, that is how it was the last time I used the layout; having retired it from exhibitions, the FY has now been converted to be used in my permanent layout at home, so another method will have to be found if I set up Elmgate again!)
I tend to use trees as on my lines overbridges are virtually non-existent as are tunnels!
The line usually curved round to the back as opposed to going straight out so I also use a curved backscene, no corners in the sky for my layouts (though until I get a proper "roll" type backscene they are some lines down them!)...
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1079.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw508%2FHobby55%2FNew%2520Czech%2520TTe%2520Layout%25202015%2FGRS03_zpsjpcoyztk.jpg&hash=933cbdbc703f3a80757a6f9fae43a8d4f225c168)
Another excellent Members' Day at Colehill yesterday, which also provided a few more useful examples:
On Bob Vaughan's lovely 'Tansy Bank' the line to the fiddle yard leaves below an overbridge, though the break is a subtle and ill-defined one (as some of the best are, I think). In the first picture the fiddle yard is covered by buildings, behind the trees:
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5337/31409280245_5035c3d70f_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLJz)SB4 (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLJz) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
and in the second he has removed the 'lid' to reveal the tracks:
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5554/31409280285_49de19afca_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLKg)SB5 (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLKg) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
Andy Cundick's fine 'Castelderg' has a simple 'hole in the sky':
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5536/31409280325_02d19952f4_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLKX)SB7 (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLKX) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
- I think he explained that it's a faithful representation of a prototype and there was no convenient bridge or other masking structure at this point in the prototype.
Making its debut at the show was John Thorne's latest endeavour, the characteristically detailed and convincing 'Dorset Watercress Company' based on the watercress beds in Bere Regis:
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5762/31409280355_1061003397_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLLt)SB8 (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLLt) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
The line to the fiddle yard leaves through the redbrick shed at the back, on the right; here is a clearer view of how he has used a building to make the break:
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5650/31409280395_bb94187068_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLMa)SB9 (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLMa) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
Finally, something rather different. On Steve Flay's now-finished and highly scenic 'Tan-y-Llyn' he has opted for a fiddle yard (a couple of sidings in reality) in front of the scenic part of the layout:
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5660/31409280305_404e1df9b0_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLKB)SB6 (https://flic.kr/p/PRwLKB) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
- the front of the layout, from which he operates, is to the left of the photo, and the scenic line can just be seen behind the sidings. The rockery is beautifully done.
David.
Outstanding David! Thanks for taking the trouble to specialise in scenic breaks at Colehill yesterday, very informative and very useful indeed. My own set of photos, which will inevitably be delayed due to a full job list in life things, will be much more conventional and boring!
Mick
If all went to (someone else's) plan those who were at Colehill will have seen Ryelands Lane and my part wood, part stone and brick overbridge. The shepherd and flock were my way of blending the bridge itself into the sky.
Chris
I'm afraid there was no sign of Ryelands Lane at Colehill Chris, despite previous correspondence about the possiblility of seeing it there. A pity as I would have liked to have had a better study of the layout myself than I managed when I last saw the layout in your own ownership at Shepton Mallet a while ago now.
Mick
I have a layout (coincidentally also a watercress bed) on which the track exits through an archway in a box hedge. It is based on the prototype, although in reality only a path passes through, not a rail line.
Can you please show us a picture, Danny? I suspect yours was the original watercress layout! (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, etc.)
David.
I've probably got a picture of my own somewhere, but in the meantime here is a link to a photo Mick Thornton took at the Beds & Bucks Open Day: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lUDfd9427dLcWY9_rr4eY0pVWWK5uHqcm658P7ZuPYwdRDvimYM7xKqwgUqS80k7r5lMpNW8C5F3ZA=w294-h220
The railway is a shuttle running alongside the watercress beds. The hedge is wire wool with grass/foliage green scatter.
As to who built their layout first, it doesn't really matter. I did mine as a representation of a prototype local to me in Hertfordshire and I wanted to show the watercress beds themselves. John however seems to have chosen to model the packing sheds of the Dorset operations to great effect, and incorporating a lot of detail.
I was fortunate enough to get to the last NGSW show a week ago, and it provided some more examples of how people tackle scenic breaks, which may be useful.
I was pleased to see some well-known layouts for the first time, not least the very satisfying 'Pempoul' by Gordon and Maggie Gravett. At the left-hand end the line disappears behind buildings and trees:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3901/32710400520_61330264b6_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RQvmsL)Pempoul a (https://flic.kr/p/RQvmsL) by clayliner (https://www.flickr.com/photos/92012779@N06/), on Flickr
and at the other end it disappears into more trees
I don't think you can do "Likes" on this forum David, but give yourself a huge LIKE from me! Great set of photos and very informative!
Mick